Rotatable hanger assembly

ABSTRACT

An exemplary rotatable hanger assembly includes a mounting portion, a close-loop frame, a control device, and a number of hooks. The close-loop frame is connected to the mounting portion, and includes a carrier belt movable along the close-loop frame. The control device includes a first drive unit connected to the carrier belt to drive the carrier belt to move along the close-loop frame. The hooks are connected to the carrier belt and configured to have garments hung therefrom. Thus, the hooks are capable of moving along the close-loop frame when the carrier belt moves along the close-loop frame, thereby allowing aspects of the garments relative to the position of the sun to change.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a movable hanger assembly and, moreparticularly, to a rotatable hanger assembly that can be used for dryingarticles such as garments.

2. Description of Related Art

After washing, garments are hung on hangers to be dried, and the hangersare suspended from a supporting bar or the like. The supporting barusually defines a number of fixing holes, to allow the hangers to extendtherethrough and prevent the hangers from being moved by wind andgathering at one part of the supporting bar during drying. However,because each garment stays in one preset position after the hangers arepositioned on the supporting bar, typically, only the part of eachgarment which is facing the sun may be dried quickly. Efficient andcomplete drying of each garment in a short time is difficult to achieve.

Therefore, what is needed is a means to solve the problems describedabove.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood withreference to the following drawings. The elements in the drawings arenot necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed uponclearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover,in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the views, and all the views are schematic.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a rotatable hanger assembly, inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of parts of an interior of a close-loop frame ofthe rotatable hanger assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 a block diagram of parts of a control device of the rotatablehanger assembly of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, an exemplary embodiment of a rotatable hangerassembly 1 is illustrated. The rotatable hanger assembly 1 includes amounting portion 30 that can be mounted to a fixed object (e.g., aceiling), a close-loop frame 10, a control device 40 (shown in FIG. 3),and a number of hooks 11. In this embodiment, the close-loop frame 10 isgenerally in the shape of an athletics track. The close-loop frame 10 isconnected to the mounting portion 30, and includes a carrier belt 12capable of moving along the close-loop frame 10. The control device 40includes a first drive unit 41 connected to the carrier belt 12 fordriving the carrier belt 12 to move along the close-loop frame 10. Thehooks 11 are connected to the carrier belt 12, and a hanger 13 can besuspended from each hook 11. When the carrier belt 12 is driven to movealong the close-loop frame 10, the hooks 11 and therefore the hangers 13are moved along the close-loop frame 10 by the carrier belt 12, therebyallowing the garments hung on the hangers 13 to show different aspectsto the rays of the sun.

In the embodiment, the close-loop frame 10 defines a close-loop groove100. The close-loop groove 100 is generally in the shape of an athleticstrack, corresponding to the shape of the close-loop frame 10. Thecarrier belt 12 and the first drive unit 41 are received in theclose-loop groove 100. The first drive unit 41 includes a plurality offirst motors 411, and a plurality of gears 412 respectively driven bythe first motors 411. Each gear 412 has a drive shaft (not shown), andthe first motors 411 are respectively attached to the drive shafts ofthe gears 412 to convey force to the drive shafts, so that the driveshafts drive the gears 412 to rotate. The carrier belt 12 includes aninternally-toothed surface 120 to engage with the gears 412. When thecontrol device 40 controls the first motors 411 to rotate, the gears 412rotate with the first motors 411 and cause the carrier belt 12 to movewithin the close-loop groove 100.

In the embodiment, each hook 11 includes a first component 110 to hangthe hanger 13 from. Each hook 11 further includes a second component 111extending from a top of the first component 110. The carrier belt 12defines a plurality of fixing holes (not shown), to allow the secondcomponents 111 to extend therethrough such that the hooks 11 areconnected to the carrier belt 12. However, the manner of connection andinteraction between the hooks 11 and the carrier belt 12 is not limitedand can be varied according to need.

In the embodiment, each hook 11 is a weight-sensitive hook 11, which canmeasure the weight of a garment hung therefrom and transmit the measuredweight periodically to the control device 40. In the embodiment, eachweight-sensitive hook 11 includes a wireless communication module (notshown), which can wirelessly communicate with the control device 40 viaa wireless network such as WIFI (wireless fidelity). The control device40 further includes a memory 42. The control device 40 determines thecurrent total weight of all the garments hung on the hangers 13according to the measured weights received from the weight-sensitivehooks 11, and then stores the current total weight in the memory 42. Amost recent previously determined current total weight is a historicalweight; and each time the current total weight is determined and stored,the current total weight replaces the historical weight so that thehistorical weight is updated. The control device 40 further compares thecurrent total weight to the historical weight; and if the current totalweight is less than the historical weight, the control device 40determines that the garments are not completely dried and controls thecarrier belt 12 to keep on moving.

In the embodiment, the time interval for transmitting the measurementsof the weights of the garments by the weight-sensitive hooks 11 is setby a user via a remote control device (not shown). In this case, thecontrol device 40 further includes a display 43. When a button of theremote control device is pressed by the user to set the time interval,the remote control device generates an instruction signal in response.The remote control device transmits the instruction signal to thecontrol device 40. The control device 40 displays the time intervalaccording to the instruction signal on the display 43 for the user toview, and controls the carrier belt 12 to move along the close-loopgroove 100 for the set time interval.

In an alternative embodiment, the control device 40 may directly(automatically) control the carrier belt 12 to keep on movingcontinuously during a set time period. In this case, optionally, thehooks 11 need not measure the weights of the garments hung therefrom inorder to allow the control device 40 to determine whether the garmentsare completely dried. That is, the hooks 11 need not be weight-sensitivehooks. After the time period is set by a user, the control device 40controls the carrier belt 12 to begin to move at the start time of theset time period, and further controls the carrier belt 12 to stop movingat the end time of the set time period.

In the embodiment, the rotatable hanger assembly 1 further includes twoconnecting assemblies 20 at opposite ends of the mounting portion 30,respectively, for coupling the close-loop frame 10 to the mountingportion 30. In the embodiment, each connecting assembly 20 is connectedto the close-loop frame 10 via a corresponding fixing bar 200. Theconnecting assembly 20 is configured to adjust the height of theclose-loop frame 10. The control device 40 further includes a seconddrive unit 44 located in the mounting portion 30 for driving theconnecting assemblies 20 to move upwards or downwards, thereby movingthe close-loop frame 10 upwards or downwards together with theconnecting assemblies 20.

In the embodiment, each connecting assembly 20 includes a plurality ofconnecting units 21 rotatably connected to each other, and each of theconnecting units 21 includes two connecting bars 22. Each connecting bar22 includes two end portions 221 and a center portion 222. Each twoadjacent connecting bars 22 that cross each other at the center portions222 thereof are rotatably connected to each other at the center portions222. In addition, in general, each connecting bar 22 is connected toanother connecting bar 22 at one of its end portions 221 (e.g. an upperone of its end portions 221 as shown in FIG. 1), and is also connectedto still another connecting bar 22 at the other one of its end portions221 (e.g. a lower one of its end portions 221 as shown in FIG. 1).

In the embodiment, each connecting assembly 20 further includes a pairof connecting cables 23 extending down from each of the ends of themounting portion 30. One of the connecting cables 23 is attached to thejunction of a bottom end portion 221 of one of two upper connecting bars22 and a top end portion 221 of the corresponding next-to-upperconnecting bar 22, and the other connecting cable 23 is attached to thejunction of a bottom end portion 221 of the other one of the two upperconnecting bars 22 and a top end portion 221 of the correspondingnext-to-upper connecting bar 22. The two pairs of connecting cables 23may be driven to move by the second drive unit 44. For example, thesecond drive unit 44 includes two second motors 441 respectivelyarranged at the opposite ends of the mounting portion 30, and two pairsof pulleys 442 respectively arranged at the opposite ends of themounting portion 30. Each pair of pulleys 442 are rotatably driven bythe corresponding second motor 441. For each pair of connecting cables23 at a respective end of the mounting portion 30, one of the connectingcables 23 is wound around one of the pulleys 442, and the otherconnecting cable 23 is wound around the other pulley 442. When thecontrol device 40 controls the second motors 441 to rotate forwards orbackwards, the four pulleys 442 rotate with the second motors 441 andcause the connecting cables 23 to move upwards or downwards as the casemay be. Thereby, each pair of connecting bars 22 connected to the twocorresponding connecting cables 23 are driven to rotate relative to eachother. As a result, the close-loop frame 10 is moved upwards ordownwards correspondingly. In the embodiment, users can control thesecond drive unit 44 via the remote control device.

In an alternative embodiment, each connecting assembly 20 may bereplaced altogether by two connecting cables (not shown) similar to theconnecting cables 23. In this case, for each pair of the connectingcables, one connecting cable is connected to one pulley 442 of thecorresponding pair of pulleys 442 and to the corresponding fixing bar200, and the other connecting cable is connected to the other pulley 442of the corresponding pair of pulleys 442 and to the corresponding fixingbar 200. Thus, the two pairs of connecting cables are capable ofdirectly lifting or lowering the close-loop frame 10.

Although the present disclosure has been specifically described on thebasis of the exemplary embodiments thereof, the disclosure is not to beconstrued as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications maybe made to the embodiments without departing from the scope and spiritof the disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A rotatable hanger assembly comprising: amounting portion; a close-loop frame coupled to the mounting portion,and comprising a carrier belt movable along the close-loop frame; acontrol device comprising a first drive unit connected to the carrierbelt to drive the carrier belt to move along the close-loop frame; and aplurality of hooks connected to the carrier belt and configured to havegarments hung therefrom, the hooks thereby moving along the close-loopframe when the carrier belt moves along the close-loop frame to allowaspects of the garments relative to the position of the sun to change.2. The rotatable hanger assembly as described in claim 1, wherein theclose-loop frame defines a close-loop groove shaped corresponding to theshape of the close-loop frame, the close-loop groove has the carrierbelt and the first drive unit received therein, and the carrier belt isdriven by the first drive unit to move within and along the close-loopgroove.
 3. The rotatable hanger assembly as described in claim 2,wherein the control device controls the carrier belt to move within andalong the close-loop groove within a predetermined time period.
 4. Therotatable hanger assembly as described in claim 2, wherein each hook isa weight-sensitive hook configured for measuring the weight of a garmenthung therefrom and transmitting the measured weight periodically to thecontrol device, and the control device is configured for determining acurrent total weight of all the garments according to the measuredweights received from the weight-sensitive hooks, comparing the currenttotal weight to a reference value, and controlling the carrier belt tomove within and along the close-loop groove if the current total weightis less than the reference value.
 5. The rotatable hanger assembly asdescribed in claim 4, further comprising a wireless network, wherein theweight-sensitive hooks transmit the measured weights to the controldevice via the wireless network.
 6. The rotatable hanger assembly asdescribed in claim 4, wherein the control device further comprises amemory, and each time the current total weight is determined by thecontrol device, the control device stores the current total weight inthe memory, the reference value is a most recent previously determinedcurrent total weight stored in the memory as a historical weight, andeach time the current total weight is determined by the control deviceand stored, the current total weight replaces the historical weight inthe memory so that the historical weight is updated.
 7. The rotatablehanger assembly as described in claim 1, further comprising twoconnecting assemblies, wherein the connecting assemblies arerespectively arranged at opposite ends of the mounting portion to couplethe mounting portion to the close-loop frame, and the control devicefurther comprises a second drive unit located in the mounting portionand configured to drive the connecting assemblies to move upwards ordownwards, thereby moving the close-loop frame upwards or downwardstogether with the connecting assemblies.
 8. The rotatable hangerassembly as described in claim 7, wherein each connecting assemblycomprises a plurality of connecting units and a pair of connectingcables, and each connecting unit comprises two connecting bars; eachconnecting bar comprises two end portions and a center portion, and eachtwo adjacent connecting bars that cross each other at the centerportions thereof are rotatably connected to each other at the centerportions; each connecting bar of at least one of the connecting units isrespectively connected to two other connecting bars at its end portions;the two connecting cables are respectively attached to the twoconnecting bars of one of the plurality of connecting units; and thesecond drive unit under control of the control device causes theconnecting cables of the two connecting assemblies to move upwards ordownwards, thereby driving the two connecting bars of each connectingassembly connected to the connecting cables to rotate relative to eachother such that the close-loop frame is moved upwards or downwardscorrespondingly.
 9. The rotatable hanger assembly as described in claim7, wherein each connecting assembly comprises two connecting cables, andeach of the two connecting cables is connected to the second drive unitand the close-loop frame, and the second drive unit under control of thecontrol device causes the connecting cables of the two connectingassemblies to lift or lower the close-loop frame.
 10. A rotatable hangerassembly comprising: a mounting portion; a close-loop frame coupled tothe mounting portion, and comprising a carrier belt movable along theclose-loop frame; a control device comprising a first drive unitconnected to the carrier belt to drive the carrier belt to move alongthe close-loop frame; a remote control device configured for a user towirelessly control the control device; and a plurality of hooksconnected to the carrier belt and configured to have objects suspendedtherefrom, so that when the carrier belt moves along the close-loopframe, the hooks correspondingly move along the close-loop frame.